Sixty-Third Regiment. 597
over that old ford every man of his brigade followed him.
Some were seriously hurt, but we were out there expecting to
get hurt. We were not "squirrel" hunting just then, even
there. In a few minutes we were all up the high hill on the
south side of the river, where the enemy had camped and in
full sight now of their rear guard, whose skirmishers were
firing on us as we crossed that ford and were driven off by our
charge up that hill. Vol. 67, p. 846. Our regiment was
all quickly dismounted, except one squadron. Company F
was in the lead of the regiment, and as we walked up the
road in colunin of fours the fire was fierce from their skir-mishers
and Lieutenant Gibson, at the head of the com-pany,
was badly wounded. In splendid style we swung out
into line on the right of that road and went at their dis-mounted
men with a steady step and fire, and drove them
back in disorder and "confusion." On page 864, Vol.
67, we read: "May 11—Started from Goodall's Tavern,
First Maine as rear guard. It became necessary to dismount
tlie whole regiment tO' hold back a strong force of the enemy
while the column moved on. On withdrawing these dis-mounted
men, the enemy charged, both mounted and dis-mounted,
and caused the regiment to fall back with some con-fusion
and considerable loss." That "strong force" was just
four-fifths of our regiment "fighting on foot," for one squad-ron
was then mounted and no mounted charge was made until
the dismounted men drove them back. That First Maine was
a superb regiment. There was no better in the Army of the
Potomac. But a part of the Sixty-third !N^orth Carolina beat
them "back with some confusion and considerable loss" at
Goodall's 11 May, 1864. They quickly had another force in
front of our dismounted line and while we were driving them
also with a rattling fire from their men and ours that grand
old First Maine was in the saddle for coming events on horse-back.
Gordon then charged past our left with the Ninth
North Carolina and that squadron of the Sixty-third. It
was hand-to-hand, saber to saber, in deadly close conflict be-tween
the Ninth North Carolina and that squadron of the
Sixty-third on our side, and the First Maine, now remounted,
and the Tenth New York, Vol. 67, p. 870, on their side; and
Full Text Sixty-Third Regiment. 597 over that old ford every man of his brigade followed him. Some were seriously hurt, but we were out there expecting to get hurt. We were not "squirrel" hunting just then, even there. In a few minutes we were all up the high hill on the south side of the river, where the enemy had camped and in full sight now of their rear guard, whose skirmishers were firing on us as we crossed that ford and were driven off by our charge up that hill. Vol. 67, p. 846. Our regiment was all quickly dismounted, except one squadron. Company F was in the lead of the regiment, and as we walked up the road in colunin of fours the fire was fierce from their skir-mishers and Lieutenant Gibson, at the head of the com-pany, was badly wounded. In splendid style we swung out into line on the right of that road and went at their dis-mounted men with a steady step and fire, and drove them back in disorder and "confusion." On page 864, Vol. 67, we read: "May 11—Started from Goodall's Tavern, First Maine as rear guard. It became necessary to dismount tlie whole regiment tO' hold back a strong force of the enemy while the column moved on. On withdrawing these dis-mounted men, the enemy charged, both mounted and dis-mounted, and caused the regiment to fall back with some con-fusion and considerable loss." That "strong force" was just four-fifths of our regiment "fighting on foot," for one squad-ron was then mounted and no mounted charge was made until the dismounted men drove them back. That First Maine was a superb regiment. There was no better in the Army of the Potomac. But a part of the Sixty-third !N^orth Carolina beat them "back with some confusion and considerable loss" at Goodall's 11 May, 1864. They quickly had another force in front of our dismounted line and while we were driving them also with a rattling fire from their men and ours that grand old First Maine was in the saddle for coming events on horse-back. Gordon then charged past our left with the Ninth North Carolina and that squadron of the Sixty-third. It was hand-to-hand, saber to saber, in deadly close conflict be-tween the Ninth North Carolina and that squadron of the Sixty-third on our side, and the First Maine, now remounted, and the Tenth New York, Vol. 67, p. 870, on their side; and